Marina And The Diamonds, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler and Marcus Miller: Album reviews

Marina And The Diamonds, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler and Marcus Miller: Album reviews

5 /
5 stars

Marina & The Diamonds:Froot

MARINA Lambrini Diamandis, born in Wales of Welsh and Greek parents, is a pop enigma: a singer-songwriter whose background and mixture of indie and dance influences have resulted in a sound which comprises few of the usual R’n’B/pop clichés.

There are no “interludes” here, no coloratura squeals or dreary series of grace notes. Instead we get euphoric Europop, owing much to the directness of True Blue-era Madonna, Marina's accented mezzo-soprano also recalling the late great Teena Marie at times.

The gorgeous Blue and punchy Can’t Pin Me Down are the stand-outs on an album which is never less than enthralling

Van MorrisonDuets: Reworking

The Catalogue

(Sony)

The album’s sub-title may sound like a record company memo but Duets turns out to be Van’s most satisfying record in years, the wily old campaigner matching his songs beautifully to each accompanist.

Hence Higher Than The World gives George Benson a tune that could have come off Benson’s own Breezin’ album; Mick Hucknall explores the soulful Streets Of Arklow and Georgie Fame sounds perfectly at home on the 1950s-style rock’n’roll stroll of Get On With The Show.

VERDICT: 4/5

Mark Knopfler: Tracker

(Mercury)

For those of us who never quite warmed to Dire Straits’ clunky storytelling, the easy grace of Knopfler’s solo work is much more the ticket.

Autobiographical tracks like the opening tale of mis-spent youth, Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes, and Basil, about a poet who worked alongside the guitarist at a local paper, are vivid vignettes, recalling the work of the wonderful Gateshead folk singer Alex Glasgow, while Long, Cool Girl is as sensuously irresistible as it sounds.

VERDICT: 4/5

Marcus Miller: Afrodeezia

(Blue Note)

Bass players almost always make boring albums but Marcus Miller, who has worked with everyone from Miles Davis to Luther Vandross, joins a small elite (also including Level 42’s Mark King) who have overturned that rule by keeping the ideas, textures and melodies moving on this largely instrumental album. Hylife is a jaunty delight.

VERDICT: 3/5

Awolnation: Run

(Red Bull)

A Californian four-piece, led by Aaron Bruno, Awolnation switch from cheesy, almost Bee Gees-like pop to raging thrash beats in the space of a few bars, their sound underpinned by wild electronic effects and percussion.

The result is infectious enough to have given them a 2011 hit with Sail, and a number of tracks here (Fat Face, Jailbreak, KOOKSEVERYWHERE!!!!) could easily follow suit.